SO much for the season fizzling out in the final week! I am as shocked as everyone else really at the news regarding the gaffer's sacking.

I'll be honest, nobody was expecting it and when the lads came in for training as usual on Monday, I thought David May was mucking about when he said: "Don't bother training because the gaffer has gone".

Not long after we had the meeting and it was confirmed.

I remember when Stan Ternent arrived and said there was a 'cancer' in the club. He vowed to get rid of it something like that doesn't take a week - it takes a long, long time.

Since day one, he has run the club his way and at the end of the day you can't argue with that because the club is in a far better position than when he came.

I haven't spoken to the gaffer since, but after digesting the news maybe it's time he needed a change.

Since he's been at Burnley, he has turned the club on its head from a struggling Second Division club and it's taken a big effort.

A lot of players have come and gone and, maybe a bit like myself, he has gone as far as he can at Burnley.

I know he might say he loves the club - and I truly believe he loves it more than anything - but twice he has just missed out on taking Burnley into the Premiership.

You would have thought it was only a matter of time, but we all know what's happened since.

I feel I know the gaffer better than most because I've probably played more games for him than anyone else, and sometime he has probably felt like he was banging his head against a brick wall.

This season we just weren't good enough and for someone like him, that's hard to take.

He's a winner and a proud man and going to places like Rotherham and Crewe and getting beat will have been a real frustration.

One thing is sure, stepping into Stan Ternent's shoes will be a tough job to follow.

The one thing all this has done is taken me off the back pages after the news I too will be leaving the club after Sunday's game.

It's bee a bit of a weird week and it will be a strange day for both of us now, I'm sure.

It's been a tough time for me because I've had three or four weeks thinking over my future and it hasn't been easy.

You are letting a lot of people down who have been part of your life for eight years.

I thought I was letting the gaffer down in a way because I've been with him for six years.

We've had our run-ins, but ultimately there is a lot of respect there.

You don't play for someone for so long - and sign several contracts - if that's not the case and I'm sure he will get a terrific send off on Sunday.

As for me, I've had opportunities to leave Burnley before, but I have always been happy at Burnley.

My contract was running out in the summer, as everyone knows, and this year we just haven't hit the heights either individually or collectively.

The opportunity came to go to Reading and it was not an easy decision because you become attached to a place.

I have always felt like I'm a loyal person and I have made a lot of good friends in and around Burnley.

But I have always said it would be nice to go home one day. I've been up here since I was 20 and I only see my mum and dad once every four or five months.

In parallel, they rarely get to see my four-year-old boy Kieron, but with a young family and a new baby on the way I felt this was the right reason because there's nothing like having your family around you.

I know what I am getting myself into and Steve Coppell being the manager just reinforces that view.

I've known Steve since I was nine-years-old and he was the reason I went to Crystal Palace, but I never got the opportunity to play under him and I felt this was an opportunity to put that right.

All I'm hoping for now is that Burnley fans can understand that and we part on good terms.

PARTING COMPANY: The gaffer and myself are facing a new starts

this weekend.